Police say a suspect is in custody after opening fire at Santa Fe High School outside Houston, Texas. At least eight to 10 students have been killed, according to recent reports. Multiple explosive devices were also found in the high school and surrounding areas. Doug Stringer, a Houston-area pastor and founder of Somebody Cares Ministries, says police have requested pastors and associate pastors be on standby to minister to the community as information is released. “I think all of us can have different opinions or viewpoints or spiritual perspectives, and the political issue will come up again, but as ministers of the gospel, we need to be sensitive and careful,” Stringer tells Charisma News. “Our job is to be a plumbline of healing and hope, just be the balm of healing during this time.” (READ MORE)

Arguably, no other crime forces Americans to confront the reality of evil than when a gunman murders school children. Yet some of the reasons why horrific incidents happen are seldom discussed […] To examine the issue from a theological and spiritual perspective, CP talked with Wave Nunnally, a professor of early Judaism and Christian origins at Evangel University, an Assemblies of God school in Springfield, Missouri. He explained that many Christians have in some ways failed to understand the spiritual dimension of evil, particularly grasping the interplay between the natural world and the spirit realm. And this is more than relevant when thinking about mass shootings, he said. Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland shooter from earlier this year, said “demons” told him how to execute the victims. (READ MORE)

After a Muslim from an Oklahoma City mosque decapitated a woman, “an official from Washington D.C. flew into Oklahoma to present a special thank you to the Muslim congregation.” He read them a message from former President Barack Obama: “Your service is a powerful example of the powerful roots of the Abrahamic faiths and how our communities can come together with shared peace with dignity and a sense of justice.” Indeed, Obama has often spoken of “the shared Abrahamic roots of three of the world’s major religions.” (READ MORE)

Nearly three years after making media headlines, Alek Skarlotos, Anthony Sadler, and Spencer Stone are once again in the spotlight. The three friends became heroes after preventing an August 21, 2015 ISIS terror attack that could have killed hundreds on a train from Brussels to Paris. The story behind the heroic act is now a film titled “15:17 to Paris.” It hits theaters Feb. 9. Clint Eastwood, who directs the film, made an unlikely casting decision. (READ MORE)

A Florida Church has found itself in the news over a sign that purports to say it is ‘heavily armed’ and not afraid to use ‘deadly force’ to deal with any prospective shooters. “Welcome to The River at Tampa Bay Church,” signs at the church warn, “right of admission reserved — this is private property. Please know this is not a gun free zone — we are heavily armed — any attempt will be dealt with deadly force — yes we are a church and will protect our people.” Senior Pastor Rodney Howard Browne posted a picture of the sign to his Instagram. “I believe if you look at the teachings of Jesus, Matthew and different places in scriptures, we see … wars, rumors of wars and people with not good intentions are going to look for a way to make a statement,” he said. “(Our church is) heavily armed, and any attempt will be dealt with — with deadly force.” (READ MORE)

Hal Kempfer, a noted international security expert, is getting a roomful of California public health officials and emergency responders to think about the unthinkable – a nuclear bomb exploding at the port of Long Beach, about four miles away. His message – coming on the same day North Korea threatened to reduce the mainland United States to “ashes and darkness” and then launched a ballistic missile over Japan – is unvarnished and uncompromising: get ready, because we all need to prepare for what comes after. “A lot of people will be killed,” he said, “but a large percentage of the population will survive. They will be at risk and they will need help.” (READ MORE)